Attending to alcohol-associated stimuli (alcohol cues) is assessed in humans using attentional bias procedures and (a) can interfere with other activities in heavy drinkers, (b) is related to the pattern and severity of problematic drinking, nd (c) is greater among current drinkers versus those in recovery. This evidence suggests that therapies that decrease attentional bias to alcohol cues might prevent cue-induced relapse. Conversely, it is also possible that effective therapies decrease attentional bias by facilitating abstinence.

Basic Research

Peripherally acting opioids are desirable for producing analgesia while eliminating debilitating central side effects, such as tolerance, dependence and addiction. However, peripheral opioid efficacy is significantly reduced in the absence of tissue inflammation. The long-term goal of this research project is to understand how inflammation enhances peripheral opioid efficacy. For example, in the absence of inflammation the delta opioid receptor (DOR) is less responsive to agonist activation.

Basic Research

This project aims to explore the interaction of genetic and environmental factors in the development of psychotic symptoms. Cannabinoid exposure during adolescence is associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, but this correlation is not causative. Thus, it is likely that people with a genetic predisposition to psychotic symptoms are more strongly affected by environmental risk factors.

Depression is a major public health problem for which the majority of patients are not effectively treated. This problem is exacerbated further in children and adolescents for whom only two antidepressant drugs are currently approved. Both belong to the selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class of antidepressant, and act by blocking high-affinity uptake of 5-HT from extracellular fluid via the serotonin transporter(SERT).

The past 5 years have seen a dramatic increase in the abuse of synthetic cathinones (e.g., MDPV and methylone), which are marketed as 'bath salts,' and are widely available for purchase on the internet and in local shops as 'safe' and 'legal highs.' In addition to a high potential for abuse, 'bath salts' also have a high potential fr toxicity, characterized by severe cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric complications.

During gestation, the excitatory neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) directs synapse formation and pruning in fetal brain circuits responsible for shaping social behavior. This course of development continues to unfold after birth and with social stimulation, both in juvenile mice and in infants. The 5-HT neurotransmitter system, including its transporters and receptors, are among the earliest to appear in the brain during embryonic development. Critically, this occurs even before the fetal brain has neurons capable of producing 5-HT on their own.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and the associated pain represent a clinically relevant limit to patient treatment with anti-cancerdrugs. Currently, there is no effective treatment for CIPN. Enhanced excitability of peripheral sensory neurons is thought to contribute to the generation and progression of CIPN. By directly affecting membrane excitability, CIPN-causing chemotherapy drugs may enhance neuronal activity eventuating neuroexcitotoxicity and neuropathy.